Kids!

I always wanted children of my own. At the same time I have never felt the need ro be the "great earth mother" to other people's children.

Of course children need to be supervised and to be cared for. And there are some who are so beautiful and some are so cute. 

My daughter-in-law adores all children. She is the first to run and grab a new baby. She gravitates toward any child. 

My son and daughter-in-law had my two grandchildren who were 2 and 3 years old. My daughter-in-law also took care of her cousin's two children. The little girl was in kindergarten and the little boy was still a toddler and disabled. 

One afternoon my son called me to say that he needed to rush his wife to the hospital. Could I come take care of the kids until they got back?

I rushed over to their house. There I was with four beautiful very small children. We were fine.

My daughter-in-law had an emergency appendectomy. My son told me he would talk to the cousin about her children.

I told him I would take care of all four children while his wife was in the hospital. They were a young family and needed the extra money.

The most difficult part was getting all four up, fed, and dressed to take the girl to school.

The little girl was a very pretty child. And she knew it. Nothing wrong with that. But she had learned that her looks helped her do whatever she wanted with no consequences. 

We butted heads because I expect children to mind me. We developed a truce. If she misbehaved she quietly accepted that she would have to sit quietly for the time of atonement. 

Then came the day that she decided to bully the other three incessantly. I would no sooner let her off the couch than she would pick on one of the others. Back to the couch.

When she went over to pick at her brother who was sleeping I snapped. I ran towards her fully intending to kill her.

She saw me and knew what was in my mind. She screamed and ran. 

She managed to evade me until my murderous rage abated. Then she climbed onto the couch and sat there quietly until my son came home.

She jumped up and ran to hug him. She had not done that before.

I am sure she meant to tattle on me. It did not work. I always told my son what had happened during the day. He thought it was funny. He should have been there. He would not have laughed.

My daughter-in-law came home from the hospital a few days later. I stayed for a few more days to help her. The little girl behaved better and my daughter-in-law was amazed.